Sometimes the truth hurts

You’ve all seen it.

American Idol auditions gone bad.

They are cringe-worth at best. I find myself squirming in my seat, its perplexing, strangely fascinating and downright sad.

The worst part is when the families greet the crestfallen contestant with soothing words of comfort. “Oh, sweetie, those judges don’t know a thing. You are the best signer in the world!”

This is the part that drives me insane!

Why lie to these poor people? They are terrible singers and NEVER should have auditioned for the show.

Telling someone the cold hard truth is sometimes very hard. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, crush their dreams or seem insensitive.

But your honesty is sometimes the most important thing they need to hear.

A couple of years ago I met with a very nice family who wanted to sell their home and move out of state. The winters were getting tough for them and they were having some health issues.

Selling was a must.

I met them at their house and noticed right away this was going to be a tough property. There was stuff everywhere, inside and out. The house was dirty, dark, and falling apart.

They gave me the grand tour and we sat down to talk. I asked them about their goals and timeline for selling their home. They needed to be out of here by September which only gave us 3 months to sell. They were short on time, money and resources to get their home ready for market.

They looked at me with hope in their eyes and asked what was next.

This was the moment for the cold hard truth.

When I first started in real estate I probably would have tried to gloss things over and ease the blow. “No, its not that bad, buyers can look past your stuff.”

Now I know better.

People hire me for my professional and honest advice. This family had a tight timeframe and a pressing need to leave the area.

So I told them the truth.

That no one would buy their home in its current condition. And because we were dealing with a very tight timeframe they were going to need to price their home much below market value to get it sold quickly.

I said all of these things with tenderness and grace, because I very much care about how my words make people feel.

At the end of our meeting they thanked me for my encouraging words.

What?

I didn’t think I sounded encouraging at all, but then I recognized it was the honesty and a thoughtful game plan that gave them feelings of encouragement.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but I believe if you really care for someone you owe them the truth and nothing but.

Importance of a Clean-show ready home

If you are not doing THIS as a home seller, you are missing out BIG time. And this is not some secret formula or magic bullet.

Its cleaning and decluttering.

Simple and cheap. But not very much fun. I get it - deep cleaning is not glamorous but it is sooooo important.

When you clean and declutter buyers can literally start to envision themselves in your home.

When your stuff is junking up a space they shut down. I even have buyers that refuse to see homes that seem dirty or cluttered just from the photos!!

In a market like this, with limited inventory, that is a huge statement about the importance of a clean-show ready home.

Why choose a "Local" real estate agent?

Being a “local” has become a somewhat territorial statement.

“I’m a local so I know better, have priority or get to complain about all the non-locals”.

This is kinda BS in my opinion, after all we are all “locals” of planet earth At least I think so

But there is a situation where being a local is super important.

Your real estate agent.

I often have clients ask me to help them buy or sell in other areas such as Denver or Grand Junction. And while my real estate license is good for the entire state of Colorado, I don’t feel I am providing the best service possible by helping buyers and sellers in areas I don’t know.

If you are not a local you might not know about the large employer that’s about to relocate, or the proposed airport expansion or areas notorious for bad water or shifting soils.

It is so flattering that my clients want to “take me with them” to their new area. And while I cannot be their boots on the ground agent, I’m more than happy to interview agents in other areas and find a great fit - a local who knows their community and can look out for your best interests.

My network of excellent agents is literally worldwide! So if you need any agent in another area, please let me know. It would be my pleasure to assist you.

Why isn't my house selling?

I don’t get this question very often, but when markets shift, it can catch sellers off guard — especially after several years of an incredibly strong seller’s market.

So when someone asks me, “Carrie, why isn’t my house selling?”

I know it’s coming from a place of confusion, frustration and a whole lot of emotion.

Here’s the truth, said with care:

Sometimes a home doesn’t sell because the price was built around what you need, what you spent or what you’re hoping to walk away with… instead of what today’s market is actually willing to pay.

And that doesn’t mean you misjudged anything.

It just means the ground has shifted under all of us, and part of my job is to help translate what the market is saying without letting it feel personal.

Your home has value — real value — but buyers determine that number, not our attachment or our plans for the next chapter.

So let’s look at the data together. Let’s adjust where needed, refine the strategy and position your home where it can truly be seen and chosen.

You deserve the truth wrapped in kindness, and that’s exactly what I’m here to give.

With gratitude.

Real estate isn’t glamorous, It’s grit

People think being a real estate agent is all fancy lunches, cocktail parties, and endless invites to special events. (Spoiler: it’s not. In fact, that basically never happens )

The reality? I wake up unemployed every single day. Every morning starts with zero guarantees. No salary. No safety net. Just me, my phone, my relationships, and the determination to go out and find the work that keeps my business alive.

And here’s the strange part—other agents are my biggest competitors and my collaborators. We’re working for the same listings, the same buyers, the same market share. Yet the moment we’re on opposite sides of a deal, we have to work together to get our clients to the finish line. No other industry works quite like this—it’s a constant dance between friendly competition and partnership.

Every deal is a hard earned. Every lead has to be nurtured. And once I cross the finish line with a client, I start all over again the very next morning, back at square one, back to unemployed until I build it again.

Don’t get me wrong—I love what I do. I love helping people find a home, build wealth, and create legacies. But behind every “Sold” sign is a thousand unseen hours of rejection, hustle, persistence and consistency. Time over task.

Real estate isn’t glamorous. It’s grit. And some days, it’s sheer survival. But I love it—and I wouldn’t want any other job than this (unless Condé Nast calls and wants me to be a travel blog writer…then it’s peace out!).

Let's Spread Some Love

Let's fill some buckets and spread some love. Life is full of super hard stuff that can feel inescapable at times. And I know we could all use a little boost these days.

So here's what you do. Find one of our mutual friends, tag them, and say something nice about them.

Don't underestimate the power of a kind word. Sometimes its the thing that makes all the difference. And thank YOU for all that you do to make the world a better place.

With gratitude and love.

Eyes here, sellers

Things that should raise your eyebrows as a home buyer.

1. Lots of deferred maintenance. Is the paint peeling? Rickey railings? Strange smells in the basement? Make sure to get a thorough home inspection so you know exactly what you are in for.

2. The home is currently being used as a second home. There is nothing inherently wrong with a second home, however, second homes can have issues that arise only once they become a primary residence. Septic issues in particular tend to crop up once someone spends more than one weekend a month in a home.

3. Rental properties. If a home has been in a rental pool for years be on the lookout for major issues. Think rental cars - people don’t drive rentals like their own cars. The same can be true for rental homes.

Myth vs Fact

1. I need 20% down to buy a house. - NOPE! Some loans are NO money down such as USDA and VA.

2. 2. I don’t have a good enough credit score. - NEWS FLASH, some loans will accept credit scores under 600.

3. Getting approved for a loan is HARD! - Did you know that around 75% of loan applications received are approved?

Know the facts before you decide home ownership is out of reach I’m here to help with any questions you might have.

What's your Zestimate?

But Zillow says my house is worth a gazillion dollars!

Okay, I’m exaggerating, kind of.

Zillow uses sales data to come up with your “Zestimate” but what they can’t factor in are things like the view, traffic noise, intimate community knowledge, changes in the local work force like a company leaving town or coming to town.

In other words the “Zestimate” is a 50,000 foot view of your homes value.

Having your local agent help you price your home is like looking under a microscope at the value of your home.

Don’t leave these things to chance. Now is not the time to be inaccurate about pricing. Correct pricing is going to dictate whether your home sits on the market or gets multiple-over asking offers.

I'm At Your Service

I lost a potential listing the other day. They decided to go with someone else which is totally okay. You can’t win them all, right?

In this market it’s incredibly hard to price property. A few homes are going for over asking and often with multiple offers and some homes are sitting, and sitting.

Sometimes I feel like an agent turned fortune teller, trying to predict the future for my clients.

I am a data freak. In other words, I rely on the data to guide me. So when you ask me to list your home, I am coming prepared with the facts.

What are homes selling for?

How long are they on the market?

What are the sold comps telling me about value?

What’s the available inventory?

What’s the appropriate listing price for the current market conditions?

At the end of the day, I told these sellers a list price they didn’t like.

I want all my clients, both buyers and sellers, to feel heard, not pressured and above all respected. But part of my job is delivering professional advice.

I can promise you I won’t blow smoke.

I will tell you the straight facts.

I value transparency and being honest.

I will give you my honest opinion on price but ultimately the list price is up to you and I will likely support it even if its over what I think is appropriate.

And I will advocate for you every step of the way.

With gratitude.

Correct Pricing Is Important

Pricing your home can feel a bit squirrelly, like playing with a bowl of slime.

Having a trusted professional is key to a successful outcome.

Let me tell you a quick story.

One of my lovely seller clients was ready to sell their home. We looked at other sold homes in their area and decided on a price.

While they were getting their home ready for market another home in their neighborhood went up for sale for a little more than the price we had decided on EXCEPT it was half the size.

I reached out right away and said let's watch, wait and see.

After two weeks the neighbors house was still on the market. My clients were concerned: would buyers think something was wrong with their house because it was less money than one half the size? I assured them that another sellers expectations of the market does not change the value of their home or their timeline.

My sellers were finally ready to go live on the market. Within days of listing, they had 3 fantastic offers on their home.

This is a perfect example of why correct pricing is so important. Two hundred days later the other house still has not sold. Time IS money.

And as the pace of the market begins to change pricing has become more important than ever.

Dreaming of a new home?

You bought your first home.

You were feeling like you were on Cloud 9.

You had so many great ideas on your Pinterest board to make this place your own.

But now several years have gone by and nothing has changed. Your space is feeling cramped and tight and you are dreaming of a new home.

But how could you swing it?

Everyone knows this market is nuts. You would have your current home sold in a heartbeat but wouldn’t be able to find a suitable replacement.

Prices have gone up so much, it wouldn’t make sense to buy a new home now.

Does this sound like you?

If so, we need to talk. I’ve got proven strategies to help you with this kind of move. Please reach out for a free copy of my Pathway to Peace guide or with any questions.

I Can Help

If you’ve bought a house in the past 2-5 years and didn’t put 20% down we need to talk!

It’s time to kick that private mortgage insurance payment you’ve been making to the curb!

Some lenders require you pay the insurance for a set amount of time and others will require a new appraisal to remove the insurance.

Here’s how I can help.

I have a formulated plan of attack that helps to rid you of that extra monthly cost.

I can also offer you a complimentary market analysis of your property so we know if you are in the ball park of saying good bye to mortgage insurance forever.

Please reach out if I can help or if you have any questions.

Teenage years

My teenage years are still very vivid.

I can literally conjure up the feelings I had as a teenager, those of angst, overall frustration with my parental units, longing for someone to understand me and that horrible feeling of never being good enough.

This is a photo from junior prom.

When I look at this 17 year old girl I think she is pretty, that she looks nice, that I might like to be her friend.

Unfortunately I didn’t think those things about myself at the time.

I let the world and my peers tell me I was less than. I was self conscious, afraid and constantly intimidated.

The grownups around me all had the same message; none of this matters and someday you will look back on your high school years and it won’t effect you at all.

In my head I would be rolling my eyes and trying to hold back the tears.

Here’s the thing.

They were 100% correct!

Those kids that were mean to me, I don’t ever think about them. Those awkward moments I had as a very tall teenager, not even on my radar.

Those times I thought I would never be accepted for who I was…. quite the opposite in my life today.

I so wish I could go back to that teenage girl and tell her “you are smart, you are kind, you are so beautiful and someday the world will see what I see”.

With gratitude.

Pick the right offer to your house

How to pick the right offer when selling your home.

This might come as a shock, but the highest price is not always the right offer to accept when selling your home. There are other major factors to consider.

How is the buyer paying for your home?

Cash or loan?

When do they want to close?

Are they flexible if you need to stay in your home for a month after closing?

Do they have any major contingencies, such as having to sell another home before buying yours?

When evaluating offers, I present my sellers with a spreadsheet of the nuts and bolts of the offer and then we talk about the pros and cons of each offer.

Here’s a quick test, which offer would you pick?

Offer A: $20,000 over asking, buyers have a small downpayment and need possession the day of closing. Property will need to appraise for the over asking purchase price.

Offer B: $5000 under asking price but buyer is cash, can close in 15 days and will rent back to you for 30 days after closing.

The goal isn’t always to accept the highest offer, but to maximize your chances of getting to the day of closing.

Process of buying a house

So…. How long does it actually take to buy a house?

A week?

A month?

Six months?

And what does the process look like anyway?

Well hopefully this video will answer some of that for you.

"Real Estater"

I was called a “real estater” the other day.

Not Realtor, not real estate agent, a real estater.

And it reminded me that there are still so many people who don’t fully understand what I do. I mean lots of people think all I do is open doors and go out to lunch with my clients!

Whether I am working with a buyer or seller my hope is that I am brining years of experience and connections to the table.

1. Recommending pre-listing repairs for the biggest bang for your buck.

2. Connecting you with experts in their fields for pre-purchase inspections.

3. Coordinating with the title company to resolve unreleased liens.

4. Brainstorming with the lender when we have an issue on the appraisal.

5. Inside knowledge on things like well depth/quality or feisty HOA’s.

6. Negotiating on your behalf when inspections items come up.

7. Accurate pricing for the maximum return on investment in the shortest amount of time.

8. Getting you the winning offer when you are competing against many other buyers.

9. And sometimes being a shoulder to cry on, real estate can put you through the ringer.

With gratitude.

How to become wealthy?

5 things that will make you wealthy by Dave Ramsey plus one more from me.

1. Have a written budget. You have to have a written game plan with money or you’re going to lose.

2. Get out of debt. When you don’t have any payments, do you know what you’ve got? MONEY!

3. Live on less than you make. In the house of the wise are choice food and oil, but a fool devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20.

4. Save and invest. 100% of people who don’t save money don’t have any money saved.

5. Be generous. Follow the 7 Baby Steps and you can be outrageously generous!

And 6 - Buy a home! Long term renting will not create wealth (actually it will but for your landlord). It can be scary but its one of the BEST investments you can make for yourself. And you don’t have to have 20% down - that is an old wives’ tale. And remember the interest rate on rent is 100%.

Licensed to list and bail

Say what?

There are days in real estate when I truly think—you can’t make this stuff up.

A few years back, I get a late-night call from the sister of one of my clients. Sweet lady, we’d met once. She starts off apologizing for calling so late and says, “You’re the only person I know in Grand County…”

And right there I thought—uh oh. This is not going to be about a listing.

Then she says, “I need a huge favor… would you be able to bail my son out of jail?”

Excuse me… come again?

Apparently, he’d been arrested for driving drunk over Trail Ridge Road (which, if you know—you KNOW ). She didn’t ask me to take him home, but I’m pretty sure if I’d offered, she’d have taken me up on it.

Now listen, I pride myself on being full-service… but I draw the line somewhere before “licensed to list and bail.”

What is a Bounce House?

BOUNCE HOUSE

: a springy inflatable structure often resembling a four-sided building and used especially by children for jumping for sport.

: a overpriced house that helps sell other homes.

When you overprice your home you are not only hurting yourself but you are driving buyers to your competition.

Over priced homes make correctly priced homes look like a deal. Also you sadly telegraph to buyers that you are not a serious seller and often times you won’t even get showings.

I know I sound like a broken record but pricing is really so important and one of the biggest keys to your success as a seller.

Questions Leave them below or send me a DM.